Fender Moving Culture Forward
Thought Starter
When we heard Fender wants to “Move Culture Forward,” it immediately ignited some thoughts. Not recommendations. Just a few of opportunities that seem to fit with the Fender brand and your ultimate destination.
Please consider the Mock Case Study below. It mixes current Fender brand work with a new idea, exemplifying the strategic and creative thinking we’ll bring to help Fender “Move Culture Forward.”
Background
Fender boasts an incredible legacy brand boosted by the endorsements of rock’s guitar gods.
“Enter Gen Z, also known as Gen Create. The most diverse, and creative generation yet.”
“Gen Z is unapologetically outspoken and impatient for change.”
“Gen Z women in music are the voice of their generation and disrupting the male-dominated pop music industry.”
Taylor Swift
Billie Eilish
Dua Lipa
H.E.R.
Challenge
More so than Nike, Pepsi and even Apple, Fender as the worldwide brand representing music—
the universal voice of expression—is poised to be the next dominant Cultural Brand.
The brand that accepts the challenge to:
“Move Culture Forward.”
Strategy
Align Fender’s values with those of today’s cultural leaders.
“Who you support is who you are.”
Creative Executions
Using Fender’s H.E.R Signature Stratocaster as an example:
Fender masterfully aligned their brand with H.E.R., an artist who represents so many of the values and feelings of Gen Create—from her personal story to how music is her form of expression.
And as an authentic shift toward the gender identity voices of Gen Create, Fender made H.E.R. the first black female with a Signature Series Guitar.
“Who you support is who you are.”
Fender’s H.E.R. Stratocaster assets prominently featured the artist.
“Who you support is who you are.”
Through Fender Signature Sessions, Fender not only captured unique footage of H.E.R. performing, but also captured H.E.R. expressing her personal creative feelings—feelings that totally relate to the Gen Create audience and thus align Fender with those same feelings.
“Who you support is who you are.”
Excerpts from H.E.R. Signature Session
Excerpts from H.E.R. Signature Session
A New Idea
In addition to the creative assets currently being developed, we believe Fender has the unique opportunity to align the brand with Gen Create’s icons of creative expression in all forms, including music, poetry, dance, visual arts and digital media. In doing so, Fender would support the creators who most passionately ignite and activate Gen Create and truly Move Culture Forward.
These young creators and agents of change include:
Now, imagine Fender not only aligning with and supporting them, but actually facilitating their collaborative creative expression.
What if, for example, Fender produced a collaboration between H.E.R. and Amanda Gorman? What might they create, combining H.E.R.’s already formidable songwriting chops with lyrics and verse by our National Youth Poet Laureate? Our cameras would be there to document every step from their initial meeting and writing sessions to recording sessions and of course a music video, creating a wealth of powerful content.
For an insight into how such a collaboration might feel, we created this mashup of H.E.R.’s anthem “Glory” with Amanda’s historic inauguration speech. This video, created from existing assets, is merely an example of how powerful an entirely new collaboration between these two icons would be.
Other collaborations between rising Fender artists and Gen Create might include Nova Twins and Ayanna Albertson, TikTok’s most popular slam poet.
Next, imagine what Blu DeTiger and Aiya Meilani, another viral poet recognized among today’s top Women of Color in the Creative Arts, might create in support of environmental awareness.
Finally, consider the implications of pairing artists like Tom Morello and X Gonzalez, Parkland shooting survivor and Gen Create’s loudest voice against gun violence. Two generations of passionate, creative, ethnic activists—a landmark “passing of the torch”. Again, our example using existing assets only hints at the potential.
These are just a few examples. We believe there is unlimited potential in pairing Fender musicians with Gen Create artists working in virtually any media. We simply provide the fuel and the catalyst, and let Fender artists and Gen Create do what they do best: Create, Activate, and Move Culture Forward.
After all, it wouldn’t be the first time music changed the world.